Valin Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Dispatches : Michael J Totten 11/24/13 Fidel Castro made a liar out of me. Okay, I didnt have to lie to immigration, customs, and security officials at Havanas Jose Marti International Airport. I could have just applied for a journalist visa and hoped theyd approve me. But colleagues warned Id have to wait months for an affirmative, and the authorities wouldnt tell me if the answer was no. Theyd simply toss my application into the trash if they thought Id write anything negative. Six months, nine months, a year would finally pass and Id still be waiting and wondering if Id ever hear from them. I have a job to do. I cant wait six to twelve months in bureaucracy hell. So I lied. Tourism I said when the nice woman at Passport Control asked what I was doing there. The Cubans knew I was coming. My name was on the flight manifest. If anyone Googled me, theyd find out at once that I work as a journalist. And if they checked their records theyd know I didnt have the right visa. Reporters who work in Cuba on tourist visas are arrested, interrogated, and deported. It makes no difference whether or not off-the-books journalists are friendly to the government. They must register with andmore importantget permission from the proper officials. I had to stay off their radar. Freedom House ranks Cuba as the sixth worst country in the entire world for journalists. The Castro government creates a more hostile working environment than even the Syrian and Iranian governments. The only countries on earth that repress reporters more ruthlessly are, in order, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, and Belarus. All are either communist or post-communist in-name-only. (Snip) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickydog Posted November 26, 2013 Share Posted November 26, 2013 Fascinating! So were the photos. Thanks for posting, @Valin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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